Six Walkers And A Blog

Maddie Faith Walker

2009-04-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Maddie's 6 years old!

Always a comedian!

Our Sweet Maddie Faith!

The Over Filled Pinata

A race for the candy!

Her Littlest Pet Shop Butterfly Cake

I can't believe my Maddie is 6 years old! She is super funny and such a great helper to me. She watches out for her younger siblings, but she also is quick to remind them that she is the oldest.......therefore she knows everything there is to know. She is a great athlete and can keep up with the boys. She is the only girl on her baseball team, and she loves soccer. But she is also our little princess and loves to get glam-ed up (In Mom's Make-up) and loves to have her nails painted every Sunday before Church. I am constantly amazed with her intelligence and her kindness for others. We are so blessed to have Maddie in our family!

Easter Celebrations

2009-04-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

Oh, this is just too sweet!

Ever wonder what happens when you forget the eggs are still cooking......

Coloring eggs

The Preschool eggs hunt

The Easter Bunny came for a visit!

Cute Girls!

We Had such a busy Easter. Lots of Celebrating to do, and all the while trying to teach our Children the true meaning of Easter and the Blessings of the Savior.

Long Time No Blog

2009-04-26T09:35:00.001-07:00

Maddie's Birthday Cake

Grandpa's (My Dad's) Birthday Triffle

Grandma's Birthday Hummingbird Cake

It has been a season for birthdays lately. And I LOVE baking! It is so fun to create new cakes and treats. Mmmmmmm Mmmmm good!

Walker Family Rainy Day Activities

2009-03-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

How Girls Play With Dinosaurs

If you color the grout, you get to clean it up!

I really don't understand the fun in this, but hey,
it is better than coloring in the grout!

Learning to crawl.

Good old fashioned fort making.

So it has been raining quite a bit lately. We have had to come up with creative ideas to keep the kids out of trouble. Logan has been imagining that he is sun bathing on a nude beach just south of France.....but we won't show any pictures of that. He has been quite a handful, coloring my grout beautiful shades of the rainbow. So I showed him how to clean it up. Don't worry, that is an old toothbrush used solely for cleaning. His favorite activity has been lining up grapes on the cupboard doors. I don't quite understand the appeal, but it keeps him busy. The girls have been building good old fashioned forts out of the living room furniture and I bought a bunch of dinosaurs for 1$ at a garage sale to keep them entertained. I love how the girls "dressed them up". Our sweet little Grant has been working on his crawling skills and he has almost got it perfected. Hope your having Happy Rainy Days too!

Neato Sketo

2009-02-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

It doesn't look like much, but it is super yummy and pretty healthy too!

Vege left overs? Why not puree them and freeze for baby food or put in Spaghetti Sauce, etc.

Neato:
So I LOVE chocolate and brownies are even better! I found these brownies called "No Pudge Fudge" You can make a whole pan of them or you can make a single serving in the microwave. And the best part is only one ingredient to add......Yogurt! Single serving is 2 tbs of brownie mix and 1 tbs of yogurt. One minute in the microwave and I have a super yummy warm brownie.......If I am really needing REAL chocolate, I just add one little dark chocolate dove square in the middle and I have a sort of healthy chocolate molten cake. Yum!

Sketo:
This is the first time I have bought a baby food maker. I really like it. I take our left over veges and puree them up and freeze for later. Great for baby food and I have even put the pureed carrots in Spaghetti sauce for added nutrition. I even mixed in some pureed veges in tomato sauce and we made our own english muffin pizzas for lunch. My kids have always loved veges, but for kids who don't, it is a great way to sneak them in.

25 Random Things

2009-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am completely addicted to several things, one being Facebook at the moment. And the rules are, once you have been "tagged" you have to write 25 Random things about yourself and then tag 25 more people. So here we go......25 Random Things about ME!

1. I had to be tagged twice before I was motivated enough to write this.
2. I ran Hood to Coast 2 years ago and averaged an 8 minute mile for 16 miles. However, I haven't found the time to get serious about running again.
3. I am too scared to ride a bike, unless I am in a wide open parking lot all alone. Otherwise, I am afraid I will get hit by a car or fall off a cliff.
4. My Husband is 8 years my senior. I am always saying things like, " I was only in 6th grade when you went on your mission."
5. On that note, I turn the big 3-0 next year, and for the first time in my life, I want a party.
6. I love to cook healthy meals for my family, but some how I always end up in the ice cream at 8pm, stop buying the ice cream!
7. I have 4 kids ages 5 and under!
8. I am an only child.
9. I used to work in the Oncology Unit at Kaiser and I really miss it.
10. My Favorite Shows include but are not limited to the following, Psych, The office, So you think you can dance, American Idol, etc......the list goes on. thank goodness for DVR and the ability to fast forward the boring stuff. Otherwise I would be watching hours of TV.
11. My Husband and I love to remember and sing old commercials and theme songs from sit-coms......"Merry Christmas from Payless, Merry Christmas"........."Together, we're gonna find our way, you and I, together (Silver Spoons)
12. We also can sing "background" music for any situation that comes our way. For example: Today I was telling Maddie to push the bike in the garage so we could close it, and Jared and I both started to sing " Push it, Push it real good" (Salt N Pepa)
13. I really honestly like all kinds of music, except what I like to call "angry music"
14. I love Garage sales; even if I don't find anything to buy.
15. I love taking pictures of every event, however it has been a year since I have developed any of my photos.
16. I was baptized as a baby and at the age of 20. And I still keep in contact with the Missionary who baptized me 8 years ago. We even went to each other's Weddings.
17. I was married in the Salt Lake City Temple, even though I have never lived in Utah.
18. I love to talk on the phone, but some how sending emails has become more popular
19. I love to travel, especially in South America. I have been to Puerto Vallarta and Santiago, Chile (and Argentina for about 2 hrs)
20. I am afraid to travel to Europe for some reason. ( I always imagine being kidnapped, hey I'm cute! But Jared is quick to remind me that I am also annoying and they would probably send me back after an hour or so)
21. I think my husband is a much more interesting person than I am, and I tend to talk more about him than I do about myself.
22. I got straight A's in college (except for a business class) However, I am completely terrified of returning to finish my degree.
23. Ebay is so much fun! I love to buy and sell and buy some more.
24. I always wanted to be a flight attendant......."In Case of an emergency, please follow the illuminated floor lights to your nearest exit."
25. Yippie, I get to go to Seattle in March for a weekend with my sister in law. No kids, No hubby, just ME! I had to use my frequent fly-er miles before they expired.

Put Your Left Hand Out, Put Your Right On Top.....

2009-02-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, we are forced to watch this commercial dozens of times every day. My Kids LOVE it. This is the one time that I regret having DVR and the ability to rewind everything. But I have to admit, I secretly enjoyed it the first 20 times. I'm over it now. (oh, go down to the bottom of the blog and pause my music so you can hear it)
Enjoy!

Quote

Talking about YouTube - Pull Ups Potty Dance

Super Saturday Steals!

2009-02-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

50 cents each!

3$ for everything here! Gymboree, Naartjie, Children's Place, Gap, Old Navy, all my favorites!

Okay, to date, this was my best garage sale day ever! I can't believe all the great finds. The wooden flower pictures are almost exactly like some pictures that Pottery Barn sold last year for over 30$ a piece. Good thing I decided not to buy them. I like these pictures better and they were only 50 cents each. They look so cute in the girls room.

The clothes were a steal too. All great brands and in perfect condition. They will be great for Maddie's fall wardrobe this year. And for only 3$! You just can't beat that.

Garage sales are really getting good these days! I think all these things would have been donated in the past, but now everyone is trying to penny pinch and earn back every last dollar they can. It is great for the wallet (of buyers and sellers)!

Lessons Learned

2009-01-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sophie is a bit irritated with me for taking this picture!

But she cheered up when I told her I was posting them in the blog.

The aftermath. ouch!

So, I learned a bunch of lessons this week.

Number 1. Never assume that 4 years old is old enough to be trusted with gum. Sophie decided to put gum in her eye lashes, in her hair and all over her hands. Needless to say, she learned some painful lessons too.

Number 2. Don't teach your 2 year old boy how to pee while standing, and not expect to find pee pee puddles everywhere.

Number 2 1/2. Don't teach your 2 year old how to pee while standing, especially if his older sisters are watching, because they will want to try it too, and there will be even more pee pee puddles to clean up.

Number 3. Expect the unexpected! I will just leave it at that.

The Sweet and the Sour of the New Year

2009-01-11T20:58:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Grant can already sit up by himself! And he is so proud of himself. He loves it, except when he gets stuck. He hasn't quite figured out how to stop sitting.

This is the only lemon that grew on my lemon tree. I am so proud of her, isn't she a beauty?! This is the first time I have been successful with growing citrus. According to the Nursery, The trick is to not water them very much, who knew!

So we survived the New Year. And I am back to Blogging. Jared's Mom and Brother Nathan, and his family, came for a short visit to celebrate the New Year. But unfortuneatly, Jared and Sophie were super sick for a couple of days. Thankfully no one else got sick. They were real troopers.

Here is some super sweet news! Logan is officially potty trained. He was my easiest and quickest to teach. I wasn't even planning on teaching him until he was older than 3, but a few months ago he started getting naked and going to the bathroom in the garage, for privacy, I guess. I figured, if you can do that then you are potty trained, it is just a matter of location! He is doing great and I can't wait for him to go to preschool in the fall. Gosh these kids grow up fast! 3 down, 1 to go!

Happy Holidays

2009-01-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning Fun. All four of our kids have worn these snowflake pajamas. They are my favorite.

Opening Presents. We were pleasantly surprised by a Secret Santa this year, who left us bunches of presents on our doorstep. We still don't know who it was, So if it was you, thank you!

The Walker Boys in their finest. The sweater Grant is wearing was Jared's when he was a baby. I couldn't find Grant's Christmas sweater for Church, and I remembered Jared just got his baby sweater, and it worked out perfectly.

These girls just get prettier and prettier everyday!

The girls had their first dance recital recently. They are taking Clogging lessons from a friend of ours. And they are doing quite well. We are so proud of them.

Okay, So having 4 kids is a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be, but it is really fun too. (The first year we were married, I was hand-crafting our Christmas cards, then we switched to the photo cards and now, with 4 kids we have moved on to the email card) Even though it is completely against my "old traditional - self", I decided to go "Green" by sending out e-cards this year. Surprisingly, we received a bunch of email cards this year, so we are not alone. With Jared being out of work we really needed to penny pinch this year. But good news, Jared is back working, independently, which really makes me nervous. I am still hoping that he finds something more permanant with benefits. But for now, we are blessed to have any kind of work.

Hope everyone had a super Holiday Season and best wishes for the New Year.

The Christmas Catch Up

2009-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Decorating super yummy cookies with Grandma!

Making Pine cone bird feeders with Grandpa. The birds gobbled them up the very next day.

Our modest outdoor decorations.

The stockings all hung with Care in hopes that St. Nick soon would be there!

This is the 3rd year that we have had this tree and I love it a little more each year. It was a little depressing at first, but there are no needles to clean up, no worries about it falling over on a baby and it is up high enough that kids can't reach, well it takes a bit of effort to get to it.

This was a great holiday season for us, I think our best yet. We were so blessed this year and well taken care of. I couldn't ask for more.

This is what happens when...........

2008-12-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you have a big sister who loves her baby brother!

This is what happens when you let your 2 year old fall asleep under the computer so you can blog at night.

This is what happens when you don't go upstairs to find out what all the giggling is about.....notice the Care Bears have their own pillow and blanket too.

This is what happens when you have a perfect baby boy. Grant is sooooo so sweet!

This is what happens when you put make-up on a 5 year old.

This is what happens when Maddie finds the camera and brings Sophie in on all the fun.

I couldn't help it!

2008-12-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

So I thought this was a pretty good score, and pretty accurate considering I can carry 4 kids up the stairs, all screaming, one hanging on my back, one in a baby carrier and two kicking in each arm. Yes, I am pretty good at handling wild kids, however, when it comes to teaching them manners, not so good. I will have to work on that!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2008-11-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is my favorite time of year for several reasons. Needless to say, I enjoy family togetherness, teaching my children about the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas.......but come on, I am only human.......and female on top of that!

So Here is my Top Ten List for why this is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

10. It is chillier, so I can hide my chubbiness in some great jeans and not be too hot.

9. My kids don't want to run around naked (as much) because it is too cold, so I look like a better mother in my neighbor's eyes.

8. School is in session! Need I say more?

7. All new shows on TV.

6. Yummy warm homemade soups and rolls.

5. Hot cocoa and whipped cream.

4. The Gym is not (as) crowded as it usually is.

3. Motorcross season is down for a couple of months, which means Jared is home more often!

2. Shopping, Shopping and more Shopping. And if it is window shopping, it counts as a workout too!

1. I can trick my kids into thinking it is really late at night just because the sun has gone down. "Look how dark it is outside, it is way past your bed time, hurry!" little do they know that it is only 6 pm! (However, this does seem to backfire in the summer, when the sun doesn't go down until 9 pm)

So back to reason number two.......Shopping! We just returned from a glorious trip to the newly remodeled Galleria Mall. It is amazing! I am so excited about all the new stores. However, this does pose one small problem. All the stores that I used to shop from online, are now in our mall, which means that everyone else will be wearing the same stuff we are. shucks! but it does make window shopping a lot more fun. Some of my old favorites have moved in, like H&M, Delia's, Pumpkin Patch, Janie and Jack, and we are even getting a Tiffany's,(I don't plan on shopping there, but it will be fun to look) The family restroom is so cool too, there are private nursing rooms, a big flat screen tv and plenty of toys for the older kids to play with. there are little tiny pottys and they even supply lotion and a microwave. I can't wait to go back without the kids. Jared is even excited about it, which shows how great it is, because Jared is tough to impress when it comes to shopping. Good thing gas prices are 1.89$ a gallon!

The End of a Soccer Season

2008-11-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Big Trophy

Apple Smile

Kick it in, way in!

Sleeping Grant

The Walker Boys

Nothing is getting past Me!

Do a little Dance!

Gooooooo Cheetahs!

Ah, it is the end of the soccer season, no more weekly practices, and Saturday games. Shucks, I really enjoyed going to them too, I think I enjoyed it more than Maddie did. Here are some great pictures from Maddie's Last Game. We hosted a party at our house for the Trophy ceremony. It was so much fun and it was a great excuse to clean the house up. I made homemade baked potato soup and chocolate chip cookies. I really looked like "super mom". Little does everyone know that I reserve my "super mom powers" for when I know everyone is looking. On average days I disguise myself as "completely overwhelmed mom"! Last night we signed Maddie up for Pony Baseball for in the Spring. It should be fun too!

Happy Birthday Sophie!

2008-11-13T19:51:00.001-08:00

All the girls! and Maddie's Friend, Aiden too!

Sophie and Claire

Sophie's favorite present, Dora Princess movie.

Our Little Sophie is not so little anymore. She is officially 4 years old! She is really getting good with her letters and all the sounds they make, and writing her name and screaming - she screams really well! It's her not so subtle way of letting us know she is unhappy. Her favorite color is blue, she loves dancing and Her hair is still a gorgeous shade of auburn - she is getting prettier everyday.

We had a great birthday for her, a pretend slumber party......all the girls went home around 8 pm. We celebrated with her friend Claire, who's birthday is also in October. It was a great way to get everyone together and save money too. We all dressed up in our Jammies, made our own pizzas, painted nails, did our hair, and watched Barbie Movies. It was great fun. And it went a lot faster than I thought it would!

Happy Birthday Sweet Sophie!

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet, Give Me Something Good To Eat!

2008-11-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

four little pumpkins

little monkey

grrrrrr! Only in California, do Dragons wear Flip Flops!

little princesses

Maddie has been Singing this song for the past 3 weeks. "Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat......." It is pretty catchy, and brought me a good youthful feeling as I sang it with her. She was surprised that I knew it. "Of course I know that song, I am a cool mom!" I explained to her. The kids had a blast at the Church party, and super fun trick or treating. However, Logan was so tired, that he only had enough energy to go to a few houses. Maddie was Sleeping Beauty, Sophie was Cinderella, (because the dress is blue and blue is her favorite color) Logan was a dragon, and Grant was a sweet little monkey, banana and all! we had a great time carving pumpkins too, we made one for each kid and then we toasted the seeds, yummy!

5th Annual Trip to Bishops Pumpkin Farm

2008-11-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Maddie was more excited about the bus ride than the field trip!

On the train.

Okay, this is my before picture! Grant is super cute though.

This was our 5th annual trip to the Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. And as usuall, it was super fun. We tagged along with Sophie's Preschool class and the weather was perfect this year. We danced the chicken dance at the chicken show. We took a hay ride to pick our own pumpkins and rode the train. Logan's favorite part was the train, it was all he could talk about for weeks.

Maddie was fortunate enough to get to go twice. She returned with her kindergarten class a couple of weeks later. It was her first real field trip. I am not sure what she enjoyed more; the school bus ride or the actual trip. She had a blast!

Here We Go Again!

2008-10-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Sophie, Our little Princess

Okay, this is just too cute for words!

Happy Birthday Grant and Jared too!

Okay, so this is the new and improved version of the Walker Blog. The clever name is thanks to Jared's creativity. His original idea was "A Hog, A Frog and A Blog" Yeah, um, no! that won't work, because we all know who everyone will think is the hog........Grant, since he eats every couple hours. but then again, so do I! Well in all fairness, the trainer at the gym said "you should eat every few hours to keep your energy level consistant."

Here are some picts of Baby Grant's Birthday, Bedtime and Dress-up!

So much has happened this year. We have had some "not so good luck" and we have had some great luck. There is so much that I have learned through all of this. One important lesson is that we can be happy no matter where we live and what we are going through. Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination!

If you didn't hear, Jared was laid off a couple of months ago and we had to sell our home. However, we are renting a bigger and better house from some great people we know. Right now we are waiting to hear back from an Insurance company that Jared sent his resume to. We are knocking on wood, crossing our fingers and of course saying our prayers. This would be the perfect job for him.

But here is the bright side........He just arrived a few months ago, Grant Douglas Walker, named for his Great Uncle Doug. He is so so so sweet. He smiles all the time and he is so funny. Everytime he tries to laugh, he gets the hic-ups. He is cuddly and loveable, and he rarely cries. We love him so very much.

Well there is more to come, check back for our Halloween Adventures.